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National Vehicle Theft Protection Month promotes awareness

Leaving personal information in your unattended car can lead to identity theft. Image: Wonderlane/Flickr/CC BY

July and august are traditionally the two worst months for car thefts, according to a just-released LoJack infographic. The graphic is part of a sixth-annual awareness campaign known as National Vehicle Theft Protection Month.

National Vehicle Theft Protection Month

LoJack, the maker of after-market vehicles security equipment, is in cahoots with the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators in the awareness effort.

Auto theft stats

Some of the alarming statistics displayed on the LoJack inforgraphic (see link below) are:

— Auto thieves cost the nation around $4.5 billion a year.

— In 2010, there was only an average of 42.8 seconds between vehicle thefts in the U.S. That’s a total of 737,000 for the year.

— The most stolen cars are ordinary ones like the Honda Accord, the Honda Civic and the Toyota Camry. However, 10 percent of all Corvettes made between 1981 and 2011 have been stolen.

— Christmas Day is the holiday with the most auto thefts.

LoJack intercept survey

Some of the data displayed on the infographic was culled from the company’s own survey of 4,500 vehicle owners in four major cities. The survey, conducted between April and May of 2012, found that nearly 80 percent of people think about auto theft “occasionally or a lot,” though just over a third take any measures to prevent it. Many admitted to having practiced bad habits which could invite thievery. Sixty-eight percent said they have either left a vehicle running while unattended or have walked away, leaving their parked vehicle unlocked.

Link between auto and identity theft

The study also addressed the link between car theft and identity theft. Just under a third of those surveyed admitted to leaving an electronic device or printed documents containing their personal information in plain sight in an unattended vehicle. A much more worrisome 64 percent copped to having their home address programmed into the vehicle’s GPS device, which could give burglars access to a motorist’s garage and home.

Vehicle theft prevention

According to the FBI, the number of car thefts declined in 2011. Still, there are many things a vehicle owner can do to
help reduce those numbers even further, particularly in these theft-heavy months.

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The LoJack infographic lists several “common sense” rules that motorists would do well to follow on a daily basis:

“Never leave keys in the vehicle with the engine running. Don’t hide a spare key in the vehicle. Close all windows and lock all doors when leaving your vehicle. Park in a well-lit area and, when at home, keep your vehicle in the garage. Don’t leave valuables visible in your car, particularly those items that include information on your identity.”

The security equipment-maker also recommended motorists use theft prevention devices and recovery tracking systems, much like the kind it sells, one assumes.